German Marriage Record help

[Angel-Rae]

Hi. I am new here I’ve recently started researching my Dutch and German ancestors. I would really appreciate some help from anyone familiar with German documents. I have translated most of it however I cannot work out the occupations of my great great grandfather Ernst Richard Bürger or the occupation of his father-in-law. I think it is possible that Ernst Bürger senior may have had a job in the church “kirchendiener”. I have searched on many websites listing old German professions but can’t seem to find these if I have translated them correctly. I think Heinrich Schwertfeger was a Natthaltau/er/ar and Ernst Richard Bürger (the groom) was maybe an obertallnar/er/au. Thank you!

[Karen McDonald]

Hi and welcome to Rootschat! 

I agree: Ernst was a Kirchendiener (sexton, churchwarden).

I was a bit thrown by the "e" (x3) in Ernst Richard's occupation, as it has to be Ober-something (but looks like Obar...), but if we take the letter which look like "a" as indeed being "e", we end up (possibly) with Oberkellner: Head Waiter. The "k" is not perfect, but it's a possibility.

Heinrich is causing me a problem: It looks like something-halter (somebody who keeps something; Schafhalter, for example, would be keeper of sheep, i.e. sheep farmer.)
Or something-falter (folder of something), which is not absolutely out of the question, as we have no idea what he did..!  )

I'll keep thinking about it and we can see what the other RCs come up with. 

Best regards,
Karen

[Angel-Rae]

Thank you Karen! I certainly considered Kellner but it was different to the other k’s in the document. It seems to be the most likely though, since I can’t find anything like tallner or ballner and it seems like the kind of job a young groom to be might have. Do you think the word before halter/ falter is Natt? Looking at The examples of scripts from that time it looks like an N or possibly an ST. I think that is a double TT at the end so it could be statt. There is an N at the beginning of Niederhannsdorf which is different from the more old fashioned N. Thank you for putting your time in to thinking about this.

[Karen McDonald]

"St" would indeed make sense: Statthalter = some kind of governor.

It's Niederhermsdorf, by the way, just in case you are looking for the town. 

Karen
in Wolfenbüttel

[Angel-Rae]

Thank you! I’ve been researching the wrong town so I really appreciate you pointing that out. Since Niederhermsdorf is near Dresden in Germany and not in what is now Poland, I think this will make things easier.

[Peonie]

Hi Angel-Rae

A Statthalter is a person who works as foreman for a tenant/farmer.

There are quite a few Niederhermsdorf about, also one in what is now Poland.

Regards Peonie

[Angel-Rae]

Thank you for that information. That clears up the mystery.  I have a note from my great uncle, his grandson that Ernst Richard was born near Kesseldorf so Karen is correct! I didn’t realise that Kesseldorf wasn’t near the other town. Thank you so much for your help.

[davecapps]

Karen is right in saying,
A Statthalter was a governor or administrator who was a representative of a higher authority.

Dave

 

[davecapps]

In the almanac of the Mecklenburg history society from 1908

http://mvdok.lbmv.de/mjbrenderer?id=mvdok_document_00003410

you will find a

Schwerdtfeger , Hofrat, Ministerialsekretär, Schwerin 1882
Schwerdtfeger , counsellor, senior Legal Secretary

i am not saying this is your Schwerdtfeger, but this could be a typical example of a Statthalter